Taking Over Me
by Tupz
Summary: She was a prisoner of the enemy, she was a prisoner of the resistance and she was a prisoner of her mind. And her one release, was the forbidden and secret love she held for another.
1. Foreword

"_Taking Over Me_"  
By: Evanesence.

You don't remember me but I remember you.

I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you.

But who can decide what they dream?

And dream I do...

I believe in you.

I'll give up everything just to find you.

I have to be with you to live to breathe.

You're taking over me.

Have you forgotten all I know and all we had?

You saw me mourning my love for you.

And touched my hand.

I knew you loved me then.

I believe in you.

I'll give up everything just to find you.

I have to be with you to live to breathe.

You're taking over me

I look in the mirror and see your face.

If I look deep enough so many things inside

That are just like you … Are taking over me.


	2. Chapter 1

It was dark outside and Ginny lay on her back on her bed. She didn't know whether it was daytime or night time. No one did anymore. It was always dark, the dense black clouds blocked out the sun. The only light, other than electric lights, was the burning green of the dark mark that hung over where the Ministry of Magic was hidden in the centre of London. The whole of England was in distress. It was all over the Daily Prophet and the muggle news.

Voldemort had risen and he was so much more powerful than 16 years ago when he had first tried to kill the famous Harry Potter. The Wizarding world was to thank Harry of eradicating Voldemort of his powers and reducing him to a misty soul that could barely live without a host body to live off. Over the 16 years slowly Voldemort's powers were regained and his soul was returned to its own body of flesh and blood. Voldemort's army of Death Eaters and horribly gruesome creatures; tore apart cities and towns all across England.

Voldemort had called the Dementors, Werewolves, Trolls, Goblins and Giants to his aid. It was a bribe, he promised them their own territory and power. Of course most of them being dumb creatures; they believed every word he fed them.

There was talk of Voldemort preparing to reincarnate Salazar Slytherin with the most black of Dark Magic. It began with muggle disappearances and wizards acting strange. Muggle newspapers splashing stories of kidnaps and runaways. Then it became murders and serial killers. Muggles were being tortured and killed by the Dark side, and the wizarding world soon realised it had to cooperate with the muggle world in order to defeat this threat to civilisation.

Wizards and Witches alike were fighting along side Muggles and their machinery. So many witches and wizards were forced into hiding; to save the lives of their loved one's from the terrible wrath of Voldemort. Harry Potter fought alongside his friends, and even those that he had come to call family. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Hagrid, Mr & Mrs Weasley, George, Fred, Charlie, Bill, Percy. All but Ginevra Weasley.

Whilst Ginny's family were away fighting, Ginny remained at the Black residence in Grimmauld Place. Occasionally Ron and Harry would come back to the house to visit, along with other members of the Order and the resistance against Voldemort. It was a sort of base for their side. Although the house was usually a hive of activity for the war, Ginny mainly stayed out of everyone's way and stuck to the upper level bedroom or the attic where Buckbeak roamed. Hermione was hardly ever at the house, either working as a mediwitch in an underground bungalow in London's western Suburbs or out in the battles alongside Ron and Harry. All her friends and family had a sort of freedom, where they could go and participate in the war and help, be of use to the resistance. But Ginny; Ginny had only ever left the Black residence once since the war began. Little did she know, that one trip out of the house, would be her last. For her own protection, her friends and family would ban her to the confines of the Black House. She was a prisoner to her own side. And she would be a prisoner to the other side.

_Ginny went charging into the very first battle with, Ron, Harry and Hermione by her side. She lived and fought amongst witches, magical creatures, muggles and wizards. It was coming to the end of that battle and the resistance was winning. It may have been the end of the battle but it was the beginning of the biggest war mankind would ever experience. Harry blasted one of his biggest patronus' to get rid of the remaining Dementors, Hermione and Ron used hexes mainly to scare away the rest of the Dark Side. Ginny was standing triumphantly behind the trio and watching as the final spells left wands to win the first battle of what was now titled The Great War. _

_There were blood smears all over Ginny's robes and face; sweat trickled slowly down her forehead to mix with the smears of dirt and blood on her face. Her arms, hands and legs ached. Suddenly a hand came shooting out from behind her and clasped itself across her mouth. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She felt ropes being bound tightly around her body. Securing her arms by her side and her legs strictly together. She could feel her captor fiddling with something behind her back. Suddenly she felt a tremendous power pulling her forward from her navel. She lost her balance whilst her body went against her will. She gave in and let herself be pulled into the warp. The feeling was familiar; she was going through a port key. She had only travelled by port key once; but the affect of the gravity that drove her body through to the port keys destination was unforgettable._

She lost her sense of direction and balance as her feet crashed into the ground; she tried to take a step to steady herself but her feet were tied together. As a result she collapsed; her knees hit the rock ground hard. A loud crack sounded and echoed through out the room; Ginny screamed out in pain. She had no way of breaking her fall since her arms were restricted. Slowly her body started to fall towards the ground. Ginny closed her eyes awaiting the painful crack as her head hit the ground. It didn't come. A pair of arms was around her body holding her up. The person lifted her up into their arms; one of their arms under the back of her knees and the other around her middle. Tears were misting over her eyes from the pain that was emitted from her cracked kneecaps. She looked up at the person who saved her.

His high cheekbones and facial features were solid and refined. His eyes were silver grey and cold. His white blonde hair was no longer slicked back as usual but it hung loosely over his face. He must have been strong for he showed no struggle as he lifted Ginny and carried her over to a bench. It was only when he lowered her gently onto the bench that she realized where she was. She was in a dungeon cell. Lucius Malfoy stood outside the cell door with a cloaked figure beside him. She recognized the man who had kidnapped her from the battlefield. He stood in the shadows at the other end of the cell. It was Wormtail. 

Ginny sat bolt upright in her bed; she was drenched in a cold sweat. She must have fallen asleep again. Every time she closed her eyes she would dream about her ordeal outside of the Black House. Ginny swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. At first her legs were abit wobbly but she slowly caught her balance. Her head started to spin so she sat again. Her eyelids drooped. She tried her hardest not to fall asleep. Ginny feared sleep, she feared that the dream would take over and that she'd never wake up from the nightmare that she had to live with. Ginny was exhausted, her body got to a point where it didn't obey her any more. Slowly she let herself collapse onto the bed and fall asleep.

"_Come Lucius, Pettigrew. We have other business to attend to." The cloaked figure turned and left with Lucius and Wormtail in tow. It was just Ginny and her rescuer now. Once Ginny heard the door close she spoke._

"_Malfoy what do you think your doing?" Ginny said suspiciously as Draco drew his wand from inside his robes. Draco didn't reply. He touched the tip of his wand to Ginny's right knee. She screamed out in pain. But the pain suddenly ceased as Draco performed a curing spell. He repeated the process on her other knee. Tears were streaming down Ginny's cheeks as an aftershock of the pain. Draco used the end of his robe sleeves to wipe away her tears._

"_Thanks" Ginny said quietly. Draco untied the ropes that bound her and left. He was closing and locking the cell door when Ginny realized she didn't know where she was or why she was here._

"_Wait!" She heard Draco pause in locking the door. "Where am I?"_

"_The dungeons under Malfoy Manner."_

"_What? Why the hell am I here!?"_

"_Lets just say; you're our prisoner of War…" Draco said without any emotion in his voice. He left and slammed the dungeons door closed. It immediately became pitch black. Ginny was only 16; and right then, she was afraid of the dark and being alone for the first time in her life. An ice-cold breeze blew through the dungeon. Ginny shivered and brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She began to sob quietly. An evil cackle echoed out through the dungeon; bouncing off the limestone walls slowly growing louder and louder until Ginny screamed._

"_SHUT UP!" The cackling laugh stopped. Abruptly, in the cell opposite Ginny's a pair of bright red glowing eyes appeared. The red eyes lit up a small area. The eyes came closer to the bars of its cell. Two small wrinkly, bruised hands came forward and clutched two bars of the cell wall._

"_I wouldn't dwell in your sorrow if I were you…" Hissed the creature. Ginny backed up against the far wall of her cell._

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Dementors guard these dungeons." A small scream came from Ginny's mouth before she had time to close it. "They feed on one's happy thoughts and they dwell around those who mope in their own misery. Eventually you will go insane…" It hissed._

"_What are you?"_

"_I'm a demon…" It hissed as if it was offended._

"_What would Voldemort want with a demon?"_

"_Voldemort!?" The demon hissed and cackled. "Voldemort is dead! It was Salazar Slytherin who you saw before!"_

"_W-what? Voldemort is no longer - ?" Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she needed to know more. She needed to know the facts._

"_Okay then… What would Slytherin want with you?" The demon was quiet. The only noise in the dank dungeons was the harsh breathing of the demon._

"_I think the more important question you should be asking is; what would Slytherin wants with you?" Ginny was about to retort. She went silent and buried her head in her knees. "You've always thought that if Lord Voldemort wanted to get at Harry Potter he'd capture the muggle girl or the Weasley boy." Ginny was amazed at how much the demon knew. "Stupid humans. Granger, Weasley and Potter are three of the most powerful witches and wizards of this time."_

"_I don't see where you're going with this." Ginny said, her voice dripping with malice._

"_What do you think is most important to the three of them?" The demon snapped. Realization suddenly swept across Ginny's face but she didn't try to hide it. She wanted to know more and this demon was going to tell her what she wanted to know even if she had to squeeze it out of him; literally. She knew then that it was a ploy to lure Harry, Hermione and Ron to Slytherin's grasp. She felt like screaming at the top of her lungs; it was the only way she felt useful to her three best friends. She loved them dearly and cherished how much they cared about her but at a time like this, she hated them. She knew they'd go running head-on at any danger that stood between them and her. The demon seemed highly amused at how distraught Ginny was working herself up to._

"_So, why are you here, demon?" Ginny snarled, the demon merely smirked._

"_I'm a demon. Demons send word from hell. Put two and two together."_

"_But why would they keep you here?" A grinding sound of metal on metal reverberated through out the dungeon. The demon instantly started hissing and screeching; squeezing its eyes shut in pain and clutching its head in agony. Ginny pressed herself up against the wall of her cell, horrified at the sight of the demon._

_A cold chill crept slowly towards her and wrapped itself around her. It sent a hazy cloud through her brain and her vision blurred. Horrible images flashed in front of Ginny's eyes and voices screamed constantly in her ears. Ginny screamed out in pain and covered her ears with her hands trying to block out the screams that rung in her ears. She held her eyes shut trying to push away the images but they managed to seep past her closed eyes and into her imagination. Ginny knew this feeling. It had happened once before; in her second year at Hogwarts. She never forgot the feeling. The feeling; of complete sadness and terror. It was only brought on by one of the foulest creatures of the Dark Lord. Dementors._

_Once Ginny had her eyes closed the images became clearer so she fought herself to open them again. There standing in front of her cell was a pack of Dementors. They were dressed in their usual long black coats. One of them had their hand on the bars of Ginny's door. It was fiddling with the lock. Ginny started to scream not from the images and screams in her head but from fear. Fear of what the Dementors would do to her once they got inside her cell. At this point Ginny was scrunched in a ball on the slimy stone floor. Slowly the white fog in front of her eyes started to thicken. She urged herself not to faint. The door of her cell clanked open. The Dementors glided in and formed a semi circle around her._

_A roar echoed through the dungeon. At first Ginny thought it was the Dementors but the Dementors had turned and were looking in the direction of the roar. A large misty white dragon came swooping down the corridor; it growled and screeched at the Dementors. It swooped down over their heads and circled and landed in-between Ginny and the Dementors. It opened its gigantic jaws and a silvery flame shot from its wide mouth. The Dementors turned and fled from the beast. The haze started to disappear. The dragon landed back down onto its four feet and turned towards Ginny. She was too exhausted to scream or try to get away. The beast then seemed to do something she didn't expect. It bowed its head to her; turned, and in a small wisp of silvery mist the dragon disappeared. There standing behind the Dragon was Draco Malfoy. He rushed over to her and bent down. He held his cold hand up to her forehead._

_His touch was cold but her skin burned. She was shaking; whether it was from fright or from exhaustion she didn't know. Draco lifted her with ease and took her down the corridor to another cell. He opened it and laid her on an old mattress that was inside. This was the second time he had lifted and carried Ginny in one day. He summoned a few blankets and a bar of chocolate. Carefully he wrapped the blankets around her and opened the chocolate bar._

"_Here, eat this." He handed her the bar of chocolate. Ginny took it with her frail white hands. Draco sat on the stone floor by her side. She took a bite of the chocolate and swallowed it whole. It sent a feeling of warmth and comfort through her body. Immediately she started to feel normal again._

"_Were the Dementors going to – to perform the –" Ginny stopped when Draco held up his hand._

"_Yes they were; but they were never meant too. Sometimes the Dementors can't help themselves."_

"_Was that your dragon?" Ginny said as she pulled the blankets tighter around her._

"_It wasn't a real dragon. It was my patronus." Ginny breathed a silent 'Woah.'_

"_That's amazing, having a dragon patronus." Draco ignored her comment._

"_Just go to sleep." Ginny just stared at him._

"_I can't…" Draco looked at her strangely._

"_Why?" Ginny was unsure whether to answer him, unsure whether she should trust him. But he was being so kind to her. And she was his prisoner. Having had little dignity left and being so close to death, Ginny decided that she no longer cared what Draco Malfoy knew about her._

"…_I'm afraid." At this, Ginny could have sworn that she saw a flicker of sympathy in his eyes._

"_The Dementors wont come back…" Ginny looked away hesitantly. Draco shifted to move his legs out in front of him and leant his back against the wall._

"_You don't have to stay." Ginny said quietly. "I wont fall asleep, you should just go to bed. Don't stay up because of me. I'm your prisoner remember…" Ginny looked at the floor, she couldn't bear to look at Draco._

"_I don't sleep. And besides, it's the middle of the day outside." Draco said shortly. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top of his knee. Draco sat in silence for a long time, his eyes focused on Ginny. She felt uncomfortable having him watch her so intently so she rolled over so that her back was to him._

"_You may be our prisoner but we wont treat you like one." Draco said finally. Without turning to face Draco, Ginny spoke._

"_So your whole family sleeps in the dungeons? Geez I want to know how you treat normal prisoners." She said scornfully._

"_Other prisoners are tortured twice daily, have cells the size of card board boxes, get fed once a day and are lucky to even see a bit of material other then their under garments." Draco said firmly but keeping his cool. Then Ginny rolled over._

"_You really do that?" Draco smirked slightly at her. "Oh...Right."_

"_I suggest you get some sleep, you'll be let out of this cell tomorrow. Slytherin wants to meet with you." Ginny let out a quivering breath. "He wont hurt you."_

"_That's easy for you to say; you're his right hand man." Ginny muttered._

"_I'll be there with you."_

"_Why?" Ginny said a little ruder than she had expected. "Not that I don't want you there," She added hurriedly._

"_To protect him from you. A guard sort of." Ginny scoffed._

"_From me? Am I really that dangerous?" Draco ignored her once more. "What can we do to make the time pass quickly?" Draco looked at her and shrugged slightly. "We could play 10 questions?"_

"_Never heard of it."_

"_Basically you take in turn to ask questions about the other person."_

"_I see, well you can go first." Ginny's eyebrows tensed as she thought._

"_Ok, first question. Why were you so mean at Hogwarts?" Draco was taken back at by the question and took a while to think of an answer._

"_I don't know."_

"_That's not a good enough answer."_

"_Okay… I was brought up to hate you. It was just house rivalry."_

"_So now that we are out of school, you'll be nice?"_

"_I may not know the rules of this game, but I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to ask two questions in a row." Draco said shortly. Ginny huffed and waited for her question._

"_What did you think of me at school?" Ginny didn't want to answer the question but it was the rules of the game. Draco had answered his truthfully._

"_I didn't think anything of you." She lied. Draco eyed her for a moment._

"_You're lying. I told you the truth." Ginny rolled her eyes._

"_I thought you were a complete prat. You had no consideration for others feelings and you were incredibly rude to Harry, Hermione, Ron and I all through out school. When I first met you I tried to keep in mind that I didn't know you; that I only knew of your reputation. But straight away, the first words that passed your lips, I hated you. You lived up to the reputation that I tried so hard to put to the back of my head. Even when Harry, Hermione and Ron gave you no reason to be mean to them, you still were! I couldn't believe someone could be so cruel. Even now, I still can't believe that you'd turn out like this." Draco has turned away; obviously it wasn't what he wanted to hear._

"_Your turn again." He said blankly._

"_Why do you serve Salazar Slytherin?" Draco glared at her. She knew that he only ever told the truth and this was going to be difficult for him. He didn't even consider answering for a few minutes. He sighed and looked at her._

"_You really want to know?"_

"_I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."_

"_I've been brought up for it all my life. It was my destiny from when I was a child. You wouldn't understand." Draco made it quite clear he wasn't going to say anything more on the matter and Ginny didn't want to risk ending a small relationship that they shared._

"_What did it feel like when Riddle controlled you?"_

"_When he controlled me? I'd suddenly wake up and find myself in strange places. And there would be massive blanks in my memory. You don't know what its like to wake up and not remember what you had been doing for hours before." Ginny yawned. "It was scary and I was terrified at what I might have done. And when Riddle drew me into the Chamber I was under his control but it was like I was floating above my body, I could see everything. I was so scared when Harry tried to wake me; I forced myself to - " She yawned again and her eyes fluttered slightly. "To try and wake up but it was pointless. It was terrible that someone could be so powerful and have such a magnificent skill in magic but use it in the wrong - " She paused. "In the wrong way." With the final words barely passing her lips she fell into a deep sleep._

_Ginny tossed and turned in her sleep, terrible nightmares haunting her slumber. She could feel herself break into a sweat but was so tired, too tired to pull herself from the dream and wake up to reality. She could feel a cold hand on her forehead._

"_No… please! No…" She murmured. "Don't hurt them Salazar! I'll do what ever you want me too…" She muttered. Suddenly, with out warning Ginny's sleeping body jolted violently as she screamed._

"_DRACO!!!"_


	3. Chapter 2

"_DRACO!!!"_ Ginny's eyes flew open. She looked at the clock on the wall, it was 2pm. Ginny rolled over and picked up her pillow and hugged it. Tears rolled down her cheeks and soaked into the pillow.

"Draco..." She sobbed. "I'll give up everything... I just need to be with you again." She whispered. She cried softly and quietly.

"Ginny! Lunch!" It was Lupin. Ginny wiped away her tears and took a few deep breaths.

"Coming!" She yelled back. Slowly and cautiously she got up from her bed and went down into the kitchen. On the table was 4 plates filled with a piece of roast chicken, peas, potatoes, carrot and a scoop of seasoning. Each plate steamed and the room smelled of herbs.

"Who else is joining us for lunch?" Ginny asked.

"Harry and Dumbledore." Ginny nodded her head slowly in acknowledgment. Harry and Dumbledore apparated into the room and greeted Ginny and Lupin. They sat and began to eat and talk. Ginny pushed her food around her plate. She wasn't hungry and she wasn't interested in company. Images of Draco and the dungeons at Malfoy Manner flashed through her mind. An image of Draco's concerned face looking down upon her covered her vision completely. There was a hand on her shoulder, and then another hand on the other shoulder. They were shaking her back and forth. She blacked out.

"_Ginny wake UP! It's just a dream! Ginny!" Ginny's eyes flew open, her large green eyes looking up into Draco's; she looked terrified._

"_Ginny it was just a dream..." Draco said slowly and quietly. Ginny's eyes misted over with tears and she began to cry. She sat up and wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and she wept. The sudden hug from Ginny took Draco a few seconds to register. Slowly he put his arms around her and patted her back stiffly. He couldn't remember ever hugging someone. He may have hugged his mother as a child but he couldn't recall it. Ginny clung onto him and wept. Slowly she pulled away. And looked up into Draco's eyes._

"_Draco I'm scared...I hate it here. I want to go home." Draco sighed and looked away._

"_You can't just leave, you're a prisoner and will stay a prisoner until you are set free."_

"_Will I ever be set free?"_

"_I don't know..." Draco whispered. Slowly Ginny slid down under the blankets and closed her eyes. She heard Draco stand and leave the dungeons._

_Ginny was awoken by a rough kick in the ribs. She yelled out in pain and sat up abruptly. It was Wormtail._

"_You..." Ginny whispered with hatred. He chuckled._

"_Yes, me. Now get up!" He reached down and pulled Ginny to her feet by her jumper. He bound her hands behind her back with chains._

"_Follow me." He turned and left the cell. Ginny followed him to the end of the corridor, up a steep flight of stairs and out a trap door. They were in a sort of office. He then pushed her in front of him and led her out the door. They walked along corridors and down stairs, along more corridors and up more stairs. The floor was stone but there was an emerald green carpet that lay along the middle for the length of the hallway. The walls were decked with portraits of the Malfoy family; it was obvious they were all Malfoy's for they all had the same white blonde hair and silver grey eyes._

_At the end of the present hallway was a large double oak door. As they approached, the doors opened slowly to reveal a person standing in the middle of the room beyond. The person wore a long black cloak. Wormtail shoved Ginny into the room and the doors closed behind her. It was just her and the cloaked figure. The person turned to face her and drew back the hood. Salazar Slytherin was everything if not more than Ginny remembered from textbooks, portraits and marble statues at Hogwarts. The man before her was tall, a wavy mop of sandy blonde hair, brushed back off his forehead and out of his topaz coloured eyes. His skin was pale with a somewhat translucent pallor that gave off an eerie sense of power. It was easy to see from the man standing before her, why Rowena Ravenclaw had fallen for him. _

"_Hello Miss Weasley." His voice spoke liquid beauty. Ginny was taken back at how completely perfect he was. "Don't be afraid child. I wont hurt you." He waved his hand and the chains holding Ginny's hands behind her back vanished. Ginny took a few steps into the room. He glided over to her. She was paralysed as he reached his hand out to touch her hair. His smell overwhelmed her and his touch was icy. _

"_You're a very pretty young lady...Very stunning indeed." Ginny, snapping out of her dream-like state having realised she was faced with the man plotting to kill her loved ones, pulled away from him._

"_What do you want with me?" He chuckled slightly._

"_Feisty one isn't she Draco." Ginny turned to see Draco leaning against the wall behind her, blanketed in a dark shadow. _

_Slytherin's hand gripped her chin tightly and brought her face back to look at him. His image of perfection and beauty now changed to the harsh reality of his being. The one that Rowena Ravenclaw was horrified by, repulsed her and refrained her from loving him at the capacity she wanted to. His unbelievable cruelty and evilness drove her away, and she didn't find love again until many years later. It was the rough perfection and rugged beauty of Godric Gryffindor that captured her heart and it drove Slytherin to madness. _

"_Are you sure that all three warriors care enough that they will come looking for this girl?" Slytherin's voice brought Ginny back from her wandering mind._

"_Yes Sir, I am certain of it." Draco said as he stepped out of the shadows._

"_What? Malfoy it was you who told Slytherin about me?" Ginny was fuming. She turned on her heel and started to advance on Draco. Slytherin chuckled._

"_Miss Weasley don't sound so shocked. Surly you didn't think young Malfoy here would try to protect you or even be on your side..." Ginny looked at the floor and tried her hardest not to cry. _

"_What do you propose we do to the super troopers when they arrive; Draco?" Draco looked up at Slytherin; Ginny saw his eyes dart across to look at her for barely a second._

"_The Death Eaters shall dispose of them; so then you may rein over the Wizarding World." Slytherin smirked._

"_Yes Draco. Finally my dream shall come true! I shall turn the world into a pure race and demolish __**all **__muggles!_ _And you my son shall be by my side through all of it. You, Draco; are my heir and successor. Once I have lived out the remainder of my reincarnated life, you shall take my place and rule!" Slytherin pulled Draco forward into a manly embrace, like a proud father hugging his only son._

"_Ginny, dear. I have only you to thank for making my plan work. If it weren't for you I'd have no way of luring all three warriors to my lair."_

"_I'd never help you!" Ginny spat. Slytherin and Draco laughed. Wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes Slytherin spoke._

"_You don't seem to be in on our little joke. You see; you've already helped us just by being here." Ginny glared at Slytherin. "Since you are my prisoner and my bait you shall be escorting me for the rest of your stay. You shall have your own quarters and be treated," Slytherin paused and smirked. "Reasonably." A knock sounded at the door and Lucius Malfoy entered the room. He walked over to Slytherin and bowed._

"_Master; May I borrow Draco? He has a few duties to fulfil."_

"_Of course, take him. I wont be needing him for a few minutes." Draco and Lucius left in silence closing the door and leaving Ginny alone with Salazar. Slytherin slowly advanced on Ginny. She inched away from him, yet he kept pursuing her right up until Ginny's back was pressed up against the wall. Slytherin fingered a lock of Ginny's flame red hair._

"_You're a very gorgeous young woman Miss Weasley. You remind me so much of my first and only love... " Slytherin said as he leant on his hand in which he placed on the wall by Ginny's head._

_Ginny refused to say anything to him, her mind was screaming, looking for an escape. Slytherin started to caress Ginny's neck with kisses. It sent shivers up and down her spine. His kisses were like himself, perfection. But they repulsed her and excited her. Tears started to swell in her eyes at the shocking thought of pleasure._

"_I can offer you power beyond your wildest imagination. All you have to do is marry me." He said pressing his body up against hers and biting her neck softly. "Be mine..." He whispered as he slid his hand slowly up Ginny's skirt. She screamed and pushed him away. Tears were now trickling down her cheeks. She had never felt so violated and disgusted. She was betraying her friends and family, and she was repulsed by herself at letting Slytherin get so close to her._

"_Get away from me! I could __**never**__ love you! No one could! You disgust me!" Slytherin seemed genuinely hurt._

"_Rowena said that once... but I had means of making her love me. If only it wasn't for her stupid love affair with Godric, he'd never have stuck his nose in our business..." Slytherin said pushing Ginny up against the wall._

"_GET AWAY FROM ME!" Slytherin pressed Ginny hard up against the wall and kissed her lips. He pressed so hard she felt her lips dig into her teeth. With all her strength she pushed him away._

"_STOP IT! PLEASE! NO!" Slytherin ignored her and kissed her again. Ginny slapped him hard across the face. When he stepped back Ginny ran for the door. But Slytherin was too quick. He had drawn his wand and knocked her onto the floor with a spell. With yet another spell he drew her into the air and walked over to her. He grabbed around her chin and jaw and pulled her face to look at him._

"_You __**will**__ be mine. Whether you choose to or not!" Ginny spat in his face._

"_I'll fight your powers, you'll never make me do something against my will." Wiping the spit off his cheek Slytherin spoke with an eerie smile tugging at the corner of his thin lips._

"_No one can fight the power of a love potion..." Ginny's eyes widened. Love potions were mythical. No such potion existed. But then Voldemort could do many horrible dark magic spells, so what would be the extent of Slytherin's ancient powers?_

"_Love potion's don't exist..." Ginny said through clenched teeth._

"_Oh no but they do my dear. They were banned many years ago but you forget that I was alive many years ago... They have told you young one's that a love potion was a myth..." Slytherin scoffed. "How do you think I was going to get Rowena to love me again? She hated me but I loved her so much..."_

"_You were going to put Rowena Ravenclaw under a love potion?"_

"_Yes… Stupid Godric Gryffindor loved Rowena, and in time she realised she loved him too. I was envious for I knew that Rowena could never love me as she loved Godric. Godric knew I pestered Rowena to marry me, I promised her everything. I told her I would sell my soul to the devil if she would marry me, I told her I could make her powerful... but she hated me even more. Godric found out my plans to slip Rowena a love potion...He smashed all my ingredients and took Rowena far away... That was when the fight about the school started. I wanted to get Rowena back, but I wasn't as strong as Godric. So I sold my soul to the devil in return for immunity. Having my new found immunity; I challenged Godric to a duel. I killed him… And it felt good. I was to have my Rowena. And we would rule. Side by side. I didn't need to find Rowena for she found me after I killed Godric. She came to me, a bump on her belly and a gold band around her finger. I was furious. I felt betrayed. And so I killed my enemies' unborn child. And I killed her. I killed the love of my life..."_

"_You're despicable. I don't care how much you long for Rowena to return your love. I am not Rowena... and I hate you even more than she did..." Slytherin growled and threw Ginny to the floor, her head hit the ground hard. Slytherin kicked her in her side and her body went sprawling across the marble floor._

"_Get up!" Ginny rose slowly. Her lip was cut and bleeding, and there was a bruise forming quickly where he had kicked her. There was a lump and bruise on her cheekbone and a small bleeding cut on her forehead near her hairline. _

_Suddenly the doors burst open and Draco ran into the room. He stopped at the sight before him but Slytherin didn't stop. He was advancing towards Ginny, he grabbed her by the shoulders before she could make a run for it. He pressed his lips to hers in a fierce hold. Ginny screamed and struggled against Slytherin's hold on her. In two strides, Draco was at Ginny's aid. He gripped her around the middle and pulled her away from Slytherin's grasp._

"_What are you doing you stupid boy?" Slytherin hissed._

"_She may be our prisoner but I will not stand here and let you harass her in any way." Slytherin hissed and looked away._

"_Take her to her room. Lock her there for the remainder of the evening. No food or water." Draco took Ginny's arm and led her out of the room. She was crying and shaking violently. Once the doors to the room were closed Draco stopped and turned to Ginny. He looked at her._

"_Are you okay?" Draco's eyes gazed over her cuts and bruises. Ginny's head started to spin and she felt dizzy. She was crying so hard that she had a headache. She felt herself slowly swoon but two strong arms caught her. _

"_Ginny, listen to my voice. Don't pass out on me, Ginny talk to me. Uhh, what's your favourite colour?"_

"_Pink..." She mumbled back._

"_Good good. What colour are your eyes?"_

"_Green." She said a little clearer. As they talked Draco carried Ginny towards her room. "What colour are your eyes? They're too hard to tell." She muttered. Draco smirked in relief that she was thinking clearly._

"_My eyes are silver blue." Ginny smiled meekly and her head rolled and rested on Draco's shoulder. When Draco reached Ginny's room he kicked open the door and entered the room. It was a large room with a grand four-poster bed in the center, wardrobe and dressing table on one side of the room and a door leading to her personal bathroom. On the opposite side of the room was a large bay window with a couch and a desk. He laid Ginny down on the bed and he sat next to her._

"_Hold still, let me heal your wounds." Draco touched the tip of his wand to Ginny's temple. He muttered an incantation and all her bruises and cuts disappeared. Slowly Ginny sat up. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Her cheeks were stained with tears and a new lot of tears were forming in her eyes. Draco watched her closely. He had to admit to himself that Ginny was gorgeous; she had beauty emanating from all her features. Slowly she turned to look at Draco._

"_I hate it here, and I hate you for telling Voldemort about me. And I hate you for saving me just then, I'd have preferred to die." She said slowly. Draco's eyes widened. He turned to face Ginny and took her hand._

"_Don't you ever say that you'd prefer to die. And yes, I probably deserved the hatred." Ginny ignored him. "But Ginny I couldn't stand there and let him hurt you...You are so fragile. And it was inhumane to see him hurting something so beautiful…" Draco brushed his hand across Ginny's cheek wiping away a tear that was trickling down to her chin. Ginny burst into a new bout of tears. _

_It was then that Draco did something unexpected and out of character. He put out an arm, for an embrace. Ginny crawled across the bed and into his arms. She sat on Draco's lap with her legs out across the bed and with her head on his shoulder she cried._

Ginny woke up hugging her soaking wet pillow. Ginny sat up and stared at her pillow and then touched her cheeks. They were damp with tears. There was movement at the door. Ginny's eyes darted to the door and Lupin was standing there.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" Ginny stuttered.

"I came up to check on you... and you were crying and shaking. I tried to wake you but you wouldn't wake. Ginny what is happening to you? You were mumbling words but they didn't make sense." Ginny looked away from him.

"There is nothing wrong. I was having a bad dream..."

"Ginny... do you remember what happened earlier? After; or should I say during, lunch?" Ginny's eyes filled with worry.

"Wh-what happened?"

"You went into some sort of trance, Harry was shaking you by the shoulder trying to make you snap out of it. Harry was a wreck with worry about you. Dumbledore called Harry away from you and you passed out. Harry and I carried you up here. At times you were jolting violently. But in the last few hours you calmed down quite a bit. So Harry and Dumbledore left." Ginny sat listening to Lupin and as hard as she tried she couldn't recall anything after going down the stairs and into the kitchen for dinner. Lupin watched Ginny intently.

"Ginny..." He went and sat on the side of the bed. "What happened a year ago? When you were taken at the battlefield?"

"What did I say in my sleep?" Ginny said getting slightly distressed.

"You said enough... I know you were taken, there was no way you had just gotten lost..." Ginny closed her eyes, slowly remembering what she had said that happened to her.

"I- I told you that I got lost..."

"Yes Ginny, you did. But that isn't what really happened is it?"


	4. Chapter 3

"But that isn't what really happened is it?" Ginny looked into Lupin's eyes, he was serious. She sighed.

"No, no it wasn't." Lupin looked at her expecting her to tell him more. "I was captured..."

"Yes Ginny I figured that much. By whom?"

"Wormtail..." Ginny muttered.

"So he's still working for Voldemort?" Ginny shook her head. "He isn't?"

"Voldemort is dead..." Ginny muttered. Lupin seemed shocked.

"Ginny, you knew valuable information all this time and you didn't think to share it with anyone? How stupid! Ginevra Weasley, you stupiud little girl…" Lupin stopped himself, calmed and began again. "Ginny. I think Dumbledore needs to be present for this. As will Harry. Not only is it important that we work out all the information you might have to help the resistance, but we need to make sure that you're now safe from harm. The Dark side has many ways of harming people and infiltrating our resistance, without even having to get close to a person, physically…" Lupin stood to leave the room and owl Dumbledore. Ginny grabbed him by the arm.

"NO! Please! Don't leave me... I don't want to sleep. I'll dream again. I'm scared Lupin please!" Ginny looked up at Lupin, her eyes filled with tears and fear. Lupin laid his hand on Ginny's.

"I'll be a few minutes." He left Ginny alone in the room. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them. Her eyes darted around the room expecting someone to come and make her fall back to sleep. Slowly the dark cloud was covering her sight again.

'No! I must fight it...' Ginny thought to herself. She mustered every bit of strength she had to force away the unconscious. Slowly the cloud disappeared. Ginny nearly started to cry with happiness.

'It's gone... I'm safe. But... So tired.' Ginny lay down on the bed trying to keep her eyes open. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but kept reminding herself to stay awake. The dark cloud came back, praying on the weak. And sleep overcame Ginny's fatigued body.

"_Ginny..."_

"_Mmmm?" Ginny murmured. Draco slowly lifted her off his lap and onto the bed. He slipped her under the covers and sat on the side of the bed and watched her. Ginny's eyes were closed but she wasn't asleep, Draco knew for her breathing wasn't slow and deep like someone who was sleeping would._

"_I have to go now." Ginny's eyes flew open and she looked at him, terrified._

"_Please, don't go."_

"_Ginny I can't stay. I have other things to attend to." Draco was about to stand to leave when Ginny's hand shot across and grabbed his fore arm. Draco cringed in pain. Ginny looked at him strangely, she hadn't grabbed him that hard._

"_What..?" Ginny said pulling his wrist closer to her. Draco tried to pull his sleeve down further and back away._

"_It's nothing... Don't worry about it." Ginny pulled his left hand away._

"_Let me see, I'm good at medi spells." Draco reluctantly gave up. Ginny pulled his sleeve up to his elbow, turned his hand over so that his wrist was facing upwards. She gasped at what she saw._

"_Ginny..." Draco mumbled. He hadn't wanted her to see, he knew everything would be different now._

"_Draco..." Ginny tore her horrified gaze away from his fore arm. "Why?" Draco looked down at his arm where the Dark Mark burned black into his skin._

"_Do you understand why I have to go now?" Ginny looked up into Draco's slightly distressed eyes and he looked back into Ginny's utterly horrified, green eyes._

"_Are they... calling you?" Draco closed his eyes and sighed._

"_Slytherin is, yes. And he isn't calling everyone. He probably just wants me to get something for him..."_

"_Does it hurt?" Ginny said, softly tracing her finger across Draco's paper white skin, surrounding the profoundly intense Dark Mark._

"_Only when he wants me, when the Dark Mark actually shows itself." He said, watching Ginny's every move. Ginny found herself staring at the mark on his arm for a long time, she shook her head knocking herself out of the daydream she was in. She let go of Draco's wrist and retracted her hand and sat back on the bed. Draco looked at Ginny; she was hugging her knees and looking at the bed quilt intently._

"_You can roam your room and through the door on the other side of your bathroom is a small morning room. There is a desk, a few books, fireplace and couch..." Draco paused realising Ginny was hardly paying attention. "I'll bring you your dinner later on." Draco said stiffly before turning and leaving the room. Ginny's eyes filled with tears as Draco left the room, slamming the door shut and bolting it locked from the outside._

"_I HATE YOU!" Ginny screamed at the locked door. She sat for a little while on the bed, tears trickling down her cheeks. She was breathing hard; whether it was from crying or anger she didn't know. She allowed her body to fall back and collapse in the mass of pillows_ _behind her._

_Taking a deep breath she rolled off the bed and walked over to the bathroom. Gingerly she turned the handle, pushing the door open a fraction. She peered through the crack; it seemed safe enough so she opened the door wide. The bathroom was quite extravagant just as the bedroom itself had been. There was another door on the other side of the bathroom, she crossed and opened the door. It led into a morning room, just as Draco had said. Ginny had neither the need nor the spirit to explore the room any further. She closed the door and looked around the bathroom. To her right was a large bath on a platform, raised about 4 inches off the ground. To her left was the door going into a small room in which the toilet was located. Next to this door was a long vanity, a large mirror stretching its length and reaching up to the ceiling. Near the end of the vanity was a sink. Under the vanity table were cupboards filled with bathroom necessities. _

_Ginny stood in front of the mirror, tired and bloodshot eyes gazed back at her. Her face was blotchy and pale, blood and dirk smeared across her face. Her tears smudged down her cheeks. Her hair was matted and ruffled. She felt disgusting; she could still feel Slytherin's grimy touch upon her skin. Ginny shed her robes, which were torn and grimy and discarded it on the floor. Her undergarments weren't much better. Her skirt was dirty as was her t-shirt. Ginny filled the sink with warm water and placed her clothes into the water to soak whilst waiting for the bathtub to fill. She slowly slid her aching body into the warm water of the bathtub. The water was scented with a frangipani bubble bath. She lay in the water and soaked, allowing the dirt, blood, pain and sorrow to wash away. When the feeling of cleanliness finally returned to her body she stepped cautiously out of the tub and dried her skin with a fluffy emerald green towel. Ginny's wand had either been lost at the battlefield or taken by Wormtail, so she hung up her clothes to air dry. Wrapping herself in a shower towel robe Ginny returned to the bedroom._

_There, sitting on the bed was Draco. She wrapped the robe tighter around her body and looked at the young man sitting before her. He'd grown a lot since she last saw him at school. He had lost his boy-ish looks and grown more mature and masculine features. They were more refined, a trait most likely passed on from his mother. His hair hung loosely around his face, he was no longer wearing robes but in a simple pair of black slacks and a thin, black suede shirt. The cuffs were undone and rolled up to his elbows; three buttons at the top of the shirt were undone revealing the pale skin of his chest. Ginny's eyes immediately glanced to his wrist, the Dark Mark no longer burned there._

"_Ginny - "_

"_I don't want to hear it." Draco looked at her. She was wrapped in the bathrobe and her hair hung in damp ringlets around her face._

"_Well I can't have you dining with me, looking like that." Ginny blinked at him._

"_D – dining with you?"_

"_You're welcome to have dinner in here by yourself. Or with my Master."_

"_He said I wasn't to be fed."_

"_He gets over his anger quickly. Shall I take you to his dining hall?" Ginny stared._

"_No. I'd like to have dinner with you. If the invitation is still open." Draco stood from the bed and took Ginny's hand._

"_The invitation is always open. But as I said before, I can't have you dressed in a bathrobe." Ginny smiled slightly as Draco led her to the other end of the bedroom and opened the wardrobe. He plucked an emerald green dress from the shelf and presented it to Ginny. She looked at it, awe struck. It was beautiful. It was a green velvet and silk dress with gold embroidery and lining. The bodice was corseted with the long dress flowing from it. The sleeves sat off her shoulders but were long sleeved. It looked expensive and Ginny's eyes looked to Draco as if to protest. _

"_Please... I'm sorry its rather old fashioned. But everything around here is… Slytherin's time. You know. But the dress will keep you warm, the Manor can be quite cold." Ginny took the dress and went behind the screen of the changing area. She slipped easily into the dress and it fitted magnificently. She stepped out from behind the screen and did a slight twirl._

"_How do I look?"_

"_Beautiful." Draco smiled at Ginny as he handed her a pair of gold and green slip on shoes. She placed them on her dainty feet and took Draco's arm. He led her to his private quarters of the Manor. Out on the balcony overlooking the Malfoy grounds was a table with a simplistic setting and a few candles. The railing around the small balcony was overgrown with poison ivy. A dangerous plant but the most beautiful of vines. Draco led her over to the table and pulled the chair out for her. She smiled to herself at his gentlemanly manners. Once she was comfortably seated he took his seat opposite her._

"_Would you like a drink?" Draco asked lifting a bottle of Champaign. Ginny was underage for drinking alcohol but she didn't care, the chances of her surviving were small. She didn't have anything to lose. She smiled slightly at Draco and nodded humbly. Draco filled her flute with deft perfection. He clicked his fingers and a ghost servant appeared. Ginny was amazed by his elegance, manners and the power he had with just a click of his fingers. This was a side of Draco that she had never before seen, but was starting to like. _

_As Draco offered her a bread roll, she thought of the looks on her family's faces if they knew she was dining in style with Draco Malfoy instead of being locked up in a dungeon. And then, she thought of Harry. And how he'd be determined to find her, and get to her. She thought of him as her hero, her Knight in shining armour as he came to save her when she was in the Chamber of Secrets. She thought of Hermione. The brains of all their adventures. She'd be working around the clock to find where Ginny was. And finally, Ron. Her older brother. Yes, she had many older brothers, but she was closest to Ron. He cared for her with a severity that none of her other brothers possessed. She could just imagine Ron now, he'd be pacing. Trying to help the search for her but just getting in the way. Her three best friends would be here soon to save her. They'd arrive into the trap in which she was the bait for. It would be because of her, that the famous Trio would be killed. It would be because of Ginny; that Slytherin would take over and wreak havoc upon wizards and muggles alike. Ginny was suddenly brought back to reality._

"_Ginny. Ginny are you okay? What's wrong?" It was Draco. He was kneeling beside her. He took her face in his hands. They were cold against her skin. She gasped for air and her eyes stung with tears. "Ginny. Can you hear me?" She found her voice._

"_Yes. Yes. I'm okay." She looked at Draco now. His eyes bore into her very soul. They were no longer icy and cold, but now filled with concern and something that Ginny couldn't put a finger on. These were not the cold eyes that she had once known. This was a different Draco. She was only just seeing him, the real Draco. A Draco that she didn't despise, in fact her feelings were quite the opposite to what they had been in school._

_Draco's hand brushed across her forehead and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. The other caressed her cheek gently._

"_Are you okay?" Ginny breathed deeply and nodded._

"_Yes, I'm fine." Although Draco was kneeling on the ground and she was sitting, she looked straight into his eyes. He was only a year older then her, 17, but quite taller then her._

"_I'm so sorry that you're in this position. You're right, it is entirely my fault." Ginny crumbled._

"_No. I understand. You had to. If I were in your position, I would've as well."_

"_That is no excuse. Look at you. You aren't taking it well at all. You've been here only 4 days and you're breaking down." Ginny looked long and hard at Draco, she reached out and took one of his hands in hers. "If I could take away all your pain and sorrow. You know I would."_

_What Draco did next, took Ginny completely off guard. Yet, she didn't at all protest. She wanted it as badly as he did. Draco leaned forward, cupping Ginny's face in his hands. Slowly but surely he kissed her. At first it was soft and gentle. A sweet kiss that aroused Ginny's senses. She closed her eyes as she was plunged into the moment. She too leaned forward into the kiss, placing her arms around Draco's neck. With his hands now on her slim waist Draco pulled her even closer yet. The kiss changed from sweet and gentle, to short tempting kisses. Draco stood, bringing Ginny to her feet with him. He wrapped his arms around her, protectively and yet passionately. The kiss was now more urgent. Full of hunger for each other, driven with passion and a need to be closer. They both pulled apart at the same time. Gasping for air. Ginny's lips were red and swollen from the intense kiss. She licked them slowly as Draco watched the slow, antagonising movements of the lips he longed to kiss once more. They were both breathing deep and slow. Their bodies were mere centimetres a part. Ginny closed the gap between them as she wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his chest. Draco embraced her, stroking her hair and planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Ginny was happiest in this moment then she had ever been before. Harry, Hermione and Ron had always been a tight trio and Ginny felt like an outsider. They always included her but there was a certain boundary into their tight circle that no one could ever breach. But right now, in Draco's comforting embrace; Ginny felt like she belonged. They fit together. Like two pieces of a puzzle, filling the gaps in each others soul. And Ginny could just feel a power between them. A power that made everything seem right. _

Harry, Lupin and Dumbledore sat around Ginny's bed. Harry held the girls hand. Her forehead was covered in beads of sweat, her cheeks were flushed – a stark contrast to her pale skin. Dumbledore mused over the situation.

"I shouldn't have left her alone. She was afraid Albus." Lupin turned to Dumbledore. "She was afraid. She was afraid she'd fall asleep and never wake up again."

"What has she been saying?"

"She mumbles. Sometimes it's incoherent but I've picked up a few things like 'I don't want to hear it.' Or she's been screaming for - " Lupin paused. "She's been screaming for Draco Malfoy." Harry turned to look at Lupin, alarmed.

"Do you think he hurt her? When she was captured by them?" Lupin shook his head.

"I don't know."

"I don't understand. If Voldemort is dead and Slytherin captured her, how did she escape? Did they let her go? And why didn't she tell us about it? She lied, saying that she got lost? It just doesn't make sense…" Harry buried his face in his hands. Dumbledore looked from Harry to Lupin.

"We all have questions. But they're going to remain unanswered until Miss Weasley wakes up."

"No." Lupin and Dumbledore looked at Harry.

"No?" Lupin queried.

"We needn't wait for her to wake up. We're going to ask Malfoy." Harry stood and made for the door but Lupin stopped him.

"Ginny needs you here Harry. If she were to wake up, it'll be you who she needs by her side. She'll need someone who loves her." Harry turned to look at Dumbledore and nodded. Dumbledore was right, and he knew it.

"Come Remus. I have some thinking to do and I'm going to need your help in running some errands." Once Lupin and Dumbledore were outside the room, Lupin spoke.

"What is it Albus? There is something troubling you." The old wizard nodded.

"There is something seriously wrong with Miss Weasley. A dark power is at work here and I fear for the child's safety. I need you to get in contact with Alastor Moody. I will inform Arthur and Molly of Ginny's situation." Lupin nodded and apparated with a pop.

Dumbledore took off his half-moon glasses and sat himself on a chair in the hallway. He rubbed his eyes and suddenly felt every second of his old age.

_Draco and Ginny sat together on a futon in front of the warm fireplace. Their hands interlaced and Ginny's head resting on Draco's shoulder._

"_You said, that if you could do something to take away my sorrows, that you'd do it." Ginny said sitting up and looking at Draco. He eyed her seriously for a moment before giving his answer._

"_Yes... I did."_

"_Would you help me write an owl?" Ginny's eyes lit up with a hope of saving her friends. Draco's eyes did not. "What? What is it?"_

"_Ginny, every bit of mail that leaves this place is read and censored. Not even I can get an owl past the checking stations." Ginny closed her eyes in defeat and sighed. Draco took Ginny's hands in his and kissed them tenderly._

"_I have to take you back now. People will start asking questions if you're missing from your quarters or if you're seen with me for too long." Ginny nodded, showing her understanding. Draco lifted Ginny's chin so she was looking him in the eye. "Don't give up hope just yet." He kissed her gently on the lips once more. She then stood and allowed him to place a binding charm on her wrists. He led her back to her quarters. As he removed the binding charm he slipped something into her hand before closing her inside the room and locking the door. She looked down at her hand, it was her wand._

_Ginny's dreams slowly turned to blurs. She had flashes of incidents. Dreams of her time with Draco, slowly turned to nightmares. Draco's face. His smile. Being kissed by Draco._

"Ginny, please wake up. You're scaring me. I can't imagine a life without you…"

_Suddenly Draco warped into Salazar Slytherin. Spending nights with Slytherin. Someone screaming out in pain, when she strained to listen she realised that it was her who was screaming. _

"I love you Ginny. I should have told you every day since the Chamber of Secrets."

_Being beaten or kicked. Being saved by Draco. His strong voice, "This is wrong Master," and Draco carrying her back to her room. Then there was a different memory. A memory, that she didn't remember occurring. _

_She was bound. _

_Lucius was forcing a potion down her throat. _

_Choking. _

_Not being able to breathe. _

_It was as if she was trying to breathe in water. _

_Her world turned upside._

"I was wrong. I was so dreadfully wrong."

_A voice, echoing as her world spun out of focus and everything went black._


	5. Chapter 4

Back at Grimmauld Place, Harry was slumped forward in his seat, refusing to let go of Ginny's hand. It seemed like hours since Dumbledore and Lupin had left, but somewhere in his subconscious he knew that time was dragging because of his concern for Ginny. Concern; it didn't seem like a strong enough word for how he was feeling. It was as if his insides were rebelling, a deep and penetrating tightness gripping his chest and stomach. This was something Harry could only ever recall experiencing once before, something more frightening than Dementors or even facing Voldemort. The thought of losing Ginny. This was the Chamber of Secrets all over again.

"I need to tell her..." Harry muttered to himself. It was as if reality came crashing down on him. He may never get another chance. Taking a deep breath, Harry sat up and reached forward to clasp Ginny's hand with both of his.

"Ginny, please wake up. You're scaring me. I can't imagine a life without you… I know it's dreadful of me to only admit it now, when you should've known long ago. But you see, the thing is that, I love you Ginny. I love you so much and I should have told you every day since the Chamber of Secrets. It wasn't until then that I realised how much I cared for you, seeing you lying there. I thought you were dead, you were so young – **I **was so young – I was so stupid..." Realising he was rambling, Harry paused and swallowed to wet his dry throat.

"Ginny. It took a near death experience for me to realise that what I felt was adoration, I was and I am in awe of you. This is why you **have** to wake up, Ginny." Harry pleaded. "I have to tell you, you need to know how much I love you; I need to spend every waking moment for the rest of your life showing you just how much..." Harry's voice faltered. Resting his elbows on the mattress, Harry bent forward, resting his forehead on his clasped hands, never releasing Ginny's.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, Ginny." Harry whispered. "Not telling you how I feel. I thought, if I kept my feelings to myself, then I couldn't hurt you. Or worse, Voldemort would use you to get to me... But I was wrong. I was so dreadfully wrong. He got to you anyway..." Harry fell silent and sat motionless, just feeling the closeness to Ginny and thinking somehow his love might ebb into her unconsciousness and bring her back to him. It wasn't until he heard footsteps dashing up the staircase that he dropped Ginny's hand and lifted his head in time to see Ron and Hermione burst through the door.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped. "Dumbledore owled filling us in on what's happened so far. How's Ginny doing?" Before Harry could respond, Ron came full pelt across the room, planting both palms firmly on Harry's chest toppling him and his chair backwards and onto the floor.

"You jerk! Every time you've been lucky enough to come back here to see Gin, you said she was fine. How could you not notice? She isn't fine!" Ron then turned his enraged glare from Harry's sprawled form on the floor to Ginny, lying deathly still and pale on the bed. His gaze softened instantly as he fell to his knees, taking Ginny's hand in a firm grasp.

"Gin, it's me – Ron. I'm here now, you can wake up. Wake up now, Ginny." Ron pleaded softly. Hermione went over to Ron, placing her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Ron. It's not going to work." Ron's head turned and looked up to glare at Hermione.  
"Do **not** say that."

Hermione sighed and turned to Harry who was now standing and righting his chair. Harry offered his chair to Hermione before walking around to the other side of the bed to sit in the chair Dumbledore had occupied a few hours before. The trio sat around Ginny's bed, watching her in silence. It was Hermione who finally spoke.

"When I read Dumbledore's letter about Ginny's condition, something came to mind from a book I read a while ago. It was in an Ancient Runes textbook about the dark or lost magic of some of the first Wizards and Witches. There was a chapter on spells and potions that telepathically links minds - _I was interested in it because I thought it might help to explain the connection between Harry's scar and Voldemort_ - " Hermione quickly explained due to the querying looks she was getting from the two boys. "Anyway, there were Witches and Wizards who began abusing these sorts of spells for their own advantage over Muggles. It got to a point that the Tribunic, the original Ministry of Magic, decided that those with powers stood out too much in society, especially when Muggles started actually getting it **correct** when they declared someone to be a "Witch" and burnt them at the stake. And so, the Tribunic destroyed all the material relating to any telepathic spell or potion. They even went as far as to have a particular plant – Klyvier, which was a main ingredient in the potions – eradicated from the planet. Now telepathic spells, like all other abolished magic, has become known as Dark Magic."

Harry's brow creased in concentration as he absorbed the information Hermione had just provided.

"But, if the Tribunic destroyed any material, how could it be Dark Magic? It shouldn't exist." Hermione nodded as Harry spoke, giving him a "yes I realise that" attitude in her response.  
"How do you think Dark Magic exists? The **dark** Wizards and Witches harbour information in secret, passing it on through generations. There are numerous books that list these telepathic spells, but they each have different ingredients, incantations and methods – I suppose its like Chinese whispers, the true spells got distorted over the centuries."

"What has all this telepathic magic got to do with Ginny? Last time I checked, telepathy didn't render someone unconscious." Ron snapped.

"I was getting to it." Hermione replied evenly. "Telepathy mightn't render someone unconscious, but it might trap them in their own minds. From what Dumbledore said, Ginny has been having bazaar dreams or even flashbacks, something she's unable to wake from until her mind releases her. It seems that Ginny might be a prisoner to her dreams."

The trio all then turned their gazes to Ginny's pale face. "Dumbledore needs to know this."

"I'm sure he already does, Harry." Hermione responded softly. "The question is, what does he plan to do next?" Hermione had barely finished her sentence when there was a soft knock at the door and Bill Weasley slipped into the room. His pained gaze flickered from Ginny back to the trio.

"Dumbledore and Lupin request your presence downstairs in the kitchen."

"I'm not leaving Ginny." Harry said sternly. Bill gave him a fiery look that dared Harry to disobey.

"I'll be sitting with her. You three may leave now." Bill forcefully crossed the room and moved to take one of the chairs by Ginny's bed as Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and darted from the room. Once outside the room, the trio made their way down the nine rickety flights of stairs to the kitchen.

"How could they force us away from her at a time like this?" Ron muttered.

"Be rational, Ron. It must be important." Hermione reasoned as they reached the kitchen door. Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the kitchen to be faced by not just Dumbledore and Lupin but the entire Order of the Phoenix.


End file.
